Chelsea is becoming a club that "knows the price of everything but does not understand the value of anything". And as a result, they gradually slip out of the Champions League race under the guidance of a coach who is not yet qualified.
The 0-3 defeat to Everton leaves Rosenior's team one point behind Liverpool in the race for the final Champions League spot. This is a position where the Premier League is almost certain to have more spots thanks to UEFA's coefficient. But that is not a single defeat.
That was Chelsea's fourth consecutive defeat in all competitions, and also the third consecutive match they did not score. Between those matches was a heavy 2-8 defeat to Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League round of 16.
Under Rosenior, who left Strasbourg to replace Enzo Maresca in January, The Blues have only won 3 in the last 12 matches. However, on-field performance is only part of the problem, as the team is still facing a series of off-field troubles.
Chelsea was fined a record 10.75 million pounds and faces the risk of being banned from transfers due to financial violations from the Roman Abramovich era. Besides, there are incomprehensible statements and decisions from Rosenior himself.
He once gave Alejandro Garnacho a tactical note when the team was only a few minutes away in a heavy defeat to PSG, or defended the fact that players surrounded the ball before the match against Newcastle with the reason of "respecting the ball".
In the context of too many distractions, people easily forget the core thing. Chelsea is playing like a team that lacks balance and experience, under the leadership of an incompetent captain.
However, blaming Rosenior entirely is unfair. He is just a consequence of a problematic operating structure at Stamford Bridge. The philosophy of the owners of Clearlake Capital and BlueCo under Todd Boehly is to spend heavily in some positions but save in other important positions.
Chelsea spent £48.5 million for Jamie Gittens, £40 million for Alejandro Garnacho and £29 million for Estevao - young winger talents. But at the same time, they refused to spend £21 million to recruit goalkeeper Mike Maignan - a proven option.
As a result, Chelsea entered the season with Robert Sanchez and Filip Jorgensen in goal, and both continuously made mistakes. Jorgensen made mistakes in the match against PSG, Sanchez made mistakes against Everton again. A team that has spent nearly 2 billion pounds since 2022 but still does not have a reliable goalkeeper.
Rosenior therefore has to work with an unbalanced squad, despite still possessing quality individuals such as Cole Palmer, Moises Caicedo or Joao Pedro. Rosenior himself is a highly rated young coach, who impressed at Derby County and Hull City. However, the move from Strasbourg to Chelsea is too big, and he is not ready for that pressure.
At Chelsea at this time, the coach is only a part of the operating system with many management levels. That is only effective if the coach is brave enough to control the dressing room and media - something Rosenior does not yet have.
Unlike the Abramovich era, when Chelsea prioritized experienced strategists such as Jose Mourinho, Carlo Ancelotti, Antonio Conte or Thomas Tuchel, the current leadership chose the opposite direction.
They are willing to invest heavily in young players but are economical in the positions of coach and goalkeeper - key factors that determine success. Rosenior is the clearest manifestation of that philosophy. And currently, both he and Chelsea are paying the price.
